Grav-Rhino

The Grav-Rhino was an experimental variant of the basic Deimos Pattern Rhino armoured personnel carrier's chassis created during the era of the Great Crusade. The Grav-Rhino, unlike any other Rhino variant makes use of anti-gravitic plates that are usually found on vehicles such as the Land Speeder. These plates allow the vehicle to hover off the ground and to fly for short distances. The Grav-Rhino used large propulsion engines to move around once it was in the air. This vehicle was designed by the Adeptus Mechanicus to be used by the Legio Custodes during the Great Crusade, yet there are no records of this vehicle ever serving in any campaigns other than the Battle of Terra. The vehicle was also used by the Silent Sisterhood, who worked closely with the Custodes.

History

It is believed by some Imperial scholars that the Grav-Rhino was built with a specific purpose in mind, and some believe this purpose was to allow the vehicle, and the Custodes it carried, to travel into the Imperial Webway portal secretly created by the Emperor after he left the Great Crusade in the command of the WarmasterHorus and which was located deep beneath the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Webway portal lacked a vehicle-accessible ramp, and so vehicles would have had to fly or walk into the portal. During the Siege of the Imperial Palace by the Forces of Chaos, the Webway, which had been accidentally destroyed by the PrimarchMagnus the Red as he tried to warn the Emperor of Horus' treachery, was flooded with daemons trying to break into the Palace. The Emperor was able to close off the portal, but only after the Legio Custodes and the Sisters of Silence were able to push back the daemons, including a Greater Daemon of Khorne. It was during this battle, known as the War Within the Webway, that the Grav-Rhino was first used in combat as the vehicle was able to quickly transport Custodes and Sisters into and through the corridors of the Webway, and was also able to help evacuate the Mechanicus workers that were constructing the Terran extension into the Webway within the confines of the Labyrinthine Dimension.

It is believed that the Grav-Rhino is no longer used by the Adeptus Custodes, as they never leave the Imperial Palace on Terra and thus have no use for transport vehicles. The advanced anti-gravitic technology used in the creation of the vehicle is now lost to the Imperium, although it is believed that there may still be some Grav-Rhinos stored in the Armoury of the Adeptus Custodes within the Palace.

Known Users of the Grav-Rhino

Legio Custodes - The Grav-Rhino was the primary transport vehicle for members of the Adeptus Custodes that were needed access into the Imperial Webway, it is unknown if they used this vehicle anywhere else.

Sisters of Silence - The Silent Sisterhood, who worked closely with the Adeptus Custodes, also had access to the Grav-Rhino while they fought within the Imperial Webway.

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications

Technical specifications for this vehicle are not available in existing Imperial records.